1.Should We Have any Faith and Trust in our President
and Congress regarding these Veterans’ Issues?

2.Should We Have any Faith and Trust in the Veterans
Disability Commission Appointed by our President and Members of Congress
regarding these Veterans’ Issues?

I will take the latter first, as that is ongoing
at present, in the news, and in our present Veterans mindset, as to this
seemingly pointing towards the President/DoD/VA creating a
“Disabled Veterans Tax.” Very similar
to the Veteran’s Disability Tax for career
soldiers that was started after the Civil War in order to save government
money.

2. Should We Have any Faith and Trust in
the “Veterans Disability Commission” Appointed by our President and Members of
Congress regarding these Veterans’ Issues?

Overall:

The first overall issue that strikes me at the
very front end of this discussion has to be this commission
was appointed by guess whom? The
President and some members of congress.

Based on number one above which, I will put forth
next as time and energy allows; this is certainly
not a good sign for the Veterans, right
out of the starting gate.

A Veteran would have to ask, if this is indeed
“for Veterans” and “for the Veterans Quality of
Life” then why were not our Veteran Service Organizations (VSO’s)
involved as they are more in tune with the collaborative adversarial Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) federal agency than high-ranking officers (retired) and
enlisted that are politically appointed.

These high-ranking officers and enlisted no doubt
still believe in the “magic kingdom” of our Department of Veterans Affairs and
even our government in such Veterans Issues. While one could conclude, the VA
is an anarchical kingdom unto itself directed by the Executive Branch of
government.

Yes, this commission is made up of high-ranking
officers and enlisted with over 260 years of military service with many valor
awards in combat.

2 Medals of Honor

2 Distinguished Service
Crosses

9 Silver Stars

6 Distinguished Flying
Crosses

5 Bronze Stars for
Valor

13 Purple Hearts, and

8 Combat Infantry
Badges or Combat Action Ribbons

When I met these courageous and
valorous men they seemed to think of the VA as
“the way it should be and as advertised” and “not how it actually has been in
the past and is presently.”

The VA is a façade of rhetoric,
manipulations, and out and out lies.

Just recently, the VA advertised
some numbers of claims and number of days on claims processing. In addition,
numbers as to the length of wait to get into the VA hospital system and the wait
once in the system in order to get a single medical appointment were also put
forth.

The Inspector General found
discrepancies so far off that they were 61 percent off of actual data points.
When asked why, the VA employees said, “they had felt pressured to fudge these numbers.”

With this kind of recently found
and reported “lack of integrity” at this
federal agency and the past issues of integrity within this federal agency; why
would any commission or any Veterans group also want this federal agency
handling additional work loads, such as in
Veterans Social Security Disability claims.”

Is there is an ulterior
government political motive behind this commission already in place.

I would suggest a government/DoD/VA motive does
exist!

When Dr. David Chu of the DoD
came out and stated the United States could no longer defend itself because of
the benefits paid to the military.
Veterans of this nation should have seen this coming. I offered to debate the
good Dr. as to why the Nation was broke and it had nothing to do with Veterans
but his intestinal fortitude was not as great
as his statements or so it seems.

Now I understand the government
has now rolled the VA budget under the DoD budget at least in part, which is
why, the DoD is going to come after Veterans
and Veterans Benefits.

Veterans must remember once you
have served your purpose in body and mind for your nation you are now just
“a used up obsolete government/DoD asset.”
No matter what damage the DoD as representatives of our government inflicted on
you.

The VA’s job is then to maximize
the DoD damage control to the budget with the obvious lack of integrity already
reported above. All of this activity overseen by the White House and their
chosen philosophy of not supporting the Veterans of the Nation by using the
Feres Doctrine and USC 38 Paragraph 511 and this so called “Veterans court
system.”

Where is the outrage by our
congress and our commander and chief at this lack of reported integrity and the
actual manipulation of VA facts above? They also seem to play a major role in
this total VA façade.

The silence is deafening!

The nation’s media seems to lap
up this government propaganda as if it were water in a desert.

Veterans know differently than this perceived
concept of what it actually is the Department of Veterans Affairs is about and
the VA tool usage by our political leaders in nothing but White House and
Congressional budget control and cover-up for Department of Defense (DoD)
mistakes.

To me, as a Veteran, this commission certainly
parallels in many ways the toxic chemical studies and the Gulf War studies the
taxpayers of America have paid for in millions of dollars in good faith for our
Veterans’ support. While our own government entities and government personnel
change the outcomes,
commit scientific misconduct, and have
denied the Veterans and their doctors a fair
assessment of the Veterans health status for over 40 years. (More on
this subject in Number 1.)

I do not make these charges lightly and those that have
read my book know I cited many government medical study transcripts as well
congressional oversight transcripts that point directly to a White House
philosophy “not to
support Veterans.”

It became painfully obvious to me during the four
year study for my book that the Reagan/Bush White House made the official
decision to “NOT support” Veterans and
their widows for the DoD mistakes. Of course, the previous White Houses just
denied everything “to the death of the Veteran”
until as usual they could deny no more and had to throw the Veterans a few
pieces of scrap meat. Yet, they still cover up many of the real medical issues
and statistical facts.

Since our congress seems to be more worried about
the next election and supporting their President then you can see where our
Veterans literally stand-alone.

I will contend the White House philosophy of the
Reagan/Bush era still permeates our White Houses and our congresses as they
figure more and more ways to rob Veterans.
(More on this subject in Number 1.)

These studies above were also advertised “as
independent” as well as the National Academy of Science/Institute of Medicine
(NAS/IOM) reviews. (More on this NAS/IOM subject later.)

The second overall issue has to be this
commission is also advertised as being “Independent.”

Being “politically appointed” by politicians in this
nation for Veterans Issues” can no longer be considered “Independent.”

One of the issues that one of the few congressmen
we actually have that support us stated “in oversight” he did not understand and
it was clear to him that there should be more
“Independent Veteran involvement.” Some scientist also testified they
would rather see data from “independent sources” outside of those major players
such as the VA or the Air Force controlled studies.
This does not speak well for our government on
Veterans’ Issues since congress is aware and still does nothing!

I guess the term “Independent” depends on what
side of the fence you are on as to its relevancy and how the word applies.

If a former President can use Webster’s, as a
defensive weapon, regarding the defining of the word “IS” and how it was
applied. Then I guess for the Veterans of the nation we also can use our former
commander and chief’s defensive and offensive verbal tactics.

INDEPENDENT

Function: adjective

(1): not subject to control by others: SELF-GOVERNING

(2): not affiliated with a larger
controlling unit b (1): not requiring or relying on something else: not
contingent < an independent conclusion > (2): not looking to others for one's
opinions or for guidance in conduct.

(3): not bound by or committed to a
political party.

The E-mail that you use to send questions to was
at one time going through the Department of Veterans Affairs. That e-mail
address has change to not reflect this
VA.gov address but some other address called vetscommisson.intranets.com.
Whether this change of address actually reflects a change in internal processes
is certainly unknown.

This certainly is suspicious as many of us Veterans have
contended, if this is so independent then why do all questions and concerns go
to the VA first; and then to the commission.
Not many Veterans, spouses, widows, or children of Veterans trust the VA or the VA officials in
Washington anymore.

Then we have the Executive Director of this
commission a Mr. Ray Wilburn whom I understand
is employed by the VA itself. He also seems to run these open meetings
and is the one who controls who speaks and for how long.

So far, I have not seen much evidence of an
“Independent Commission.”

This is even more compelling when I was in
personal attendance when one of the VA big shots came down from Mount Olympus
and spoke to those of us mere mortals in attendance and the commission. He
totally wasted valuable time of over an hour that could have been used by
Veterans in attendance that had been cut from 15 minute to five-minute
presentations.

His message during that wasted over an hour was:
“The VA is in charge here, you are nothing
unless we say so because we control all the money!” That was it in essence and
could have been stated in 30 seconds.

The third overall issue has to be where in the world did
this agenda come from “if
not totally political.”

The entire agenda subjects are about cost cutting areas
and not how the VA is performing to the levels, it needs to in order to provide
as the self-proclaimed
commission agenda purports the “Veterans Quality of Life.”

So there is very little independence in the area
of agenda. Someone in politics or the DoD/VA created this agenda.

This agenda was created not for Veterans but for
the government.

Just some of the Agenda Subjects:

1.Should the
government continue to give the “Veteran the Benefit of the Doubt”? (1)

2.Should the
government give lump sum payments for disorders at 20% rating or less? (2)

3.Should the
government take DNA samples of Veterans?

4.Should the
government consider PTSD a permanent disability? Is it curable to the point of
allowing the Veteran to go back to work?

5.Do the benefits
paid to disabled Veterans discourage them from seeking work?

6.Then it was also
added in a special pronouncement by the Veterans Affairs Commission in the house
and the senate that the commission should also evaluate Social Security in this
scenario. (This certainly does not meet the definition above of an
“Independent” Commission.) (Can you Veterans now see this as just a Political
Agenda?)

7.The improvement of
government outreach to Veterans. (3)

Does this agenda sound like it is for the benefit
of the Veterans?

(1) When I was there I asked if we are going to
look at continuing to give the Veterans the
Benefit of the Doubt then we must ascertain where in the VA process and
at what level it is actually given. The answer by Mr. Ray Wilburn was they, the
VA, will just tell you they give it to you. I indicated that in any analysis
that will result in a decision that you have to know what the comparison of (a)
to (b) actually is. If no one knows what (a) is, then how can anyone determine
the actual impacts of doing away with (a) and replacing it with (b).

I had submitted a Marines case for Peripheral
Neuropathy (PN) to this commission where the BVA had decided that there was
50/50 chance his PN was caused by his toxic chemical exposures. The BVA then
assigned more evidentiary weight to the Secretary of the VA medical conclusions
that it was not associated.
Therefore, I asked where is the benefit of the doubt on admitted equipoise
evidence; yet, the VA has more weight in this “Kangaroo court and Legal System.”

This commission wants to study doing away with
something that no one can define what that something is. (Just classic VA
reasoning.)

(2) This lump sum issue has many many
implications of which I tried to address several issues with no response or the
responses were so naïve they were not real.

The main issue is this lump sum, which the
commissioners indicated was the majority of Veterans were at 20% or less.

My may concern was, is this mandatory. They said
no. I asked how long before it would be since the government obviously wants
Veterans off the roles. No answer.

I asked since I know that a toxic chemical war
wound is different than a physical war wound how does that equate and is anyone
concerned about this 20% wound eventually leading to a mortality wound as has
happen by the 10’s of maybe even 100’s of thousand of our Vietnam Veterans. No
answer.

I asked if the Veteran either takes the lump sum
as an option or is mandated later on to take this lump sum, is that Veteran
still considered “Service Connected.” I
think most of you Veterans can see where this is leading.

(3) Improve outreach? First, there has to be
some semblance of an outreach program to improve it. For over 50 years, there
has been no VA outreach or even notification of our toxic chemical damages or
what test to run or in Gulf War what to expect. Only cover-ups and government
fraud instead of outreach exists for the Veterans.

Two mules and a cow die from west Nile virus in
No Where, US of A and for two days it is on the CNN and Fox News banner. Yet,
for Veterans even two times a year on Veterans Day and Memorial Day, as a
minimum, there is nothing!

There is much more in 3 through 7 I tried to
address at the commission but will not bore you with the details. I can tell
you this; I got no satisfactory answers as one Veteran who has studied the VA
for four years now.

As a note:

Veterans must remember the political power they
do have should they chose to use it which we seldom do.

However, after the word got out about the “social
security offset” verbiage, under Veterans pressure the commission agreed toadopt a motion to clarify that
there would be no mention or question of an offset of VA or SSDI benefits and to
limit data collection from the Social Security Administration and SSDI.

While the verbiage was changed in the motion, the
data being collected is still suspect as to what it will be used for at least in
my simple mind.

As some have already pointed out to me once the data is
collected all is needed is another vote to change the verbiage back to
original. Not my thoughts but the thoughts of
others.

SPECIFIC ISSUES:

Recently the commission published the following:

1.The goals of the
Commission are to improve outreach, expedite the SSDI application and
examination process, and to explore federal certification, which could lead to
a single disability exam for all veterans.

I already discussed outreach and its
nonexistence, which is also to minimize impacts to the government’s budget at
the sacrifice of the Veterans.

Expedite SSDI application and examinations?

First, the VA could not and will not expedite an
already approved claim for government toxic chemical caused cancer that is
automatically associated to service in Vietnam. My guys die from these cancers
once diagnosed within 6 months and never got a dime while they and their family
were fighting the Veterans cancer.

Do I want this agency now working my social
security claim on the pretense that this agency will somehow expedite anything?
That has got to be the biggest joke in this whole thing. In fact, in support of
my guys, I point blank asked whom in government can light a fire under the VA’s
rear-end. The answer I got was, “absolutely NO ONE!”

I have no idea what in the world this commission
means citing “a single disability exam.”

The first thing is most of the time the Social
Security unlike the VA does not require what the VA calls a Compensation and
Pension Exam or C & P. This is because the VA uses a totally different rating
system with a cumulative math total.

In most cases, unless it is contested Social
Security requires no such exam. They have the test data, the doctor’s facts,
and the specialist doctor facts. As long as those tests and the doctors facts
and test results meet the Social Security Blue book definitions by paragraph and
section there is not much sense in Social Security taking the claim to
adjudication. Especially since the social security applicant as guaranteed by
the constitution, they can have competent legal lawyer representation.

Unlike the Veterans Administration rules that
this constitutional guarantee does not apply, until this federal agency tells
you it is OK to have competent legal representation.

Ironic don’t you think that those that sacrifice
mind, body, and soul to guarantee that specific right for “all citizens” are
then “themselves denied such constitutional rights by our own government.”

The bottom line, “statement 1” is controversial
and spurious at best since most disabled Veterans do not have a problem with
Social Security disability. In fact, most tell me they got theirs through in
four to nine months. One of the reasons is they seemed to realize the toxic
chemical impacts of service in Vietnam more than the VA does. Therefore, they
see the same medical issues on Veteran after Veteran. Including these are the
same medical issues that someone, if they had any integrity, at the VA would
look at the empirical data in the legal system of the BVA and say to himself or
herself this is hard data and should not be ignored. Yet, it is ignored on a
daily basis within the VA and the leadership of the VA.

2. Therefore,
any study of SSDI benefits must be conducted for the sole purpose of improving
access and timeliness of these benefits to veterans. For example, possible
recommendations based on SSDI data
could include:

a. Waivers for veterans with less than six
quarters of SSDI eligibility;

b. Expedited reviews for veterans already
service-connected by VA or for those medically retired from the military.

In Number 2, we do not need the VA meddling and
again their idea of expediting anything would be someone else’s definition of
stalling.

In all of Number 2, you only need a reciprocal
agreement between the two agencies.

Christ the congress makes the laws of our nation;
not the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and
certainly not this commission. Although Veterans will eventually see, this
recommendation by this commission used by those politicians that appointed them,
when the Veterans’ rear-ending commences!

3. Rather than individual data or data
that includes income or medical diagnostic matching, the Commission voted to
direct its research contractor, the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), to use
only large, combined groups of veteran data. There will therefore be no way
to match the obtained data to any individual, in order to protect the privacy
of veterans receiving SSDI compensation.

Again, this statement is so misleading. We are
not going to do this specifically but in great numbers. What in the heck does
that mean to anyone? Of course, Veterans understand what data they are going
after in bulk. Is there any doubt in any Veterans mind or spouse of a Veteran
or child of Veteran as to what is going on here?

4. The Commission also hopes to gain
additional insights from this rolled-up, grouped data, which might lead to a
greater understanding of the effects on quality of life for disabled veterans
and the utilization rates of SSDI by veterans. By understanding how many
eligible veterans take advantage of SSDI and how that process works, the
Commission hopes to understand how to improve the process and encourage all
eligible veterans to apply for their SSDI benefits.

This statement is also misleading in its intent.
As in 3 above, I think most Veterans can see past this totally flawed and
ambiguous statement.

I want to also include the sample this committee
staff put out as some sort of defensive posture. This is what the VA commonly
does.

“After sitting through nearly two-days of
public meetings, a Vietnam veteran who suffered Traumatic Brain Injury and
other debilitating conditions came forward during the Public Comment period on
May 19. Like many of you, he had been led to believe certain misgivings about
the Commission.

Instead, he expressed his respect and
gratitude for the work that the Commission is undertaking in fulfilling its
mission.”

What that is supposed to do as VA propaganda I
have no clue.

We all respect those on the committee for their
service to the nation and so forth. They are just misguided as to which way to
“March Order.”

In other words the commission with these statements above
now all of sudden rather than “offset from VA to SSDI” study is now looking to
solve a problem that does not exist and never has existed but they need the Social Security
data to solve this nonexistent problem.

All Veterans know where this is politically headed and
that is a “DISABLED VETERANS TAX!” No
different than the government robbing of our career military retiree veterans
for over 130 years to the tune of billions, maybe even trillions of dollars with
what is called the
“Veterans Disability Tax.”

The two rating systems of the VA and the Social
Security are not even close to being the same and the results of the disability
are even treated differently.

In the one case, the social security is not
interested in a partial disability and when a 100% or qualifying for Social
Security you are allowed to try and work part-time up to $860.00 gross per
month. Including that even though you are on Social Security they may call you
in from time to time or even come visit you to make sure you are disabled to the
point you were or close. While they do have some ratings that will make this
less likely to happen such as, “not expected to recover or improve.”

The VA on the other hand, you can be 90% disabled
and still working and even a 100% disabled and still working depending on the
math stack up of disabilities.

If congress wants to solve this commissions “perceived problem” and actually
help the Veterans then they should pass a law stating:

Both agencies “shall” honor with reciprocal
agreements the findings of the one as to disability rating.

Notice I said “SHALL” instead of “WILL.” That
means in legal terms it is a command and must have an auditable trail that the
agencies are in compliance and complying with the law.

Of course, as usual this means nothing to the VA
as they ignore congressional mandates all the time and even when it is a law
they as the congress has given them the power to implement the laws the way they
see fit which, is essence how the White House sees fit.

With the power of the VA and being, a government
within our own government even a courts mandamus act is ignored as the VA thumbs
their nose at the court.

The VA has become an “appointed government” with
legislative, executive, and judicial powers over one segment of society within
our elected form of constitutional government.

In other words by recognizing each others work, a short
form can be used no different than a 1040a short form for filing taxes. This would obviously reduce the
burden on both federal agencies.

However, that would make sense with logic and our
government when it comes to making things simple and making sense does not have
the aptitude for such things, except when it
comes to illegals.

I will repeat here what the Vietnam Veterans of
America stated:

Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) system is not a veterans’ benefit,
nor was it intended to be. We understand that at least one commissioner has
said that because veterans paid into the system while they were in the
military possibly for only two years or less, and while many have paid into
that system for thirty-five or forty years since discharge, that the brief
time paid in makes it a “disabled veteran benefit.”

Frankly,
this is as intellectually specious as
claiming that because many veterans paid auto insurance and Department of
Motor Vehicle charges on their car in their home state while they were in the
military that auto insurance is all so a “veterans’ benefit.”

Our organization
is against a “disabled veterans tax,”
no matter what the guise. Just as prohibition of concurrent receipt of
military pension for longevity and VA compensation for service connected
disabilities is essentially a tax levied on
veterans for being disabled, so too would any offset of any SSDI
payments to American citizens who happen to
be veterans who are disabled as a result of their military service.

The Federal laws, regulations, as
well as the patterns and practices governing Social Security in general, and
Social Security Disability in particular are totally different from those
governing VA Compensation & Pension. The SSDI criteria, categories, and
definitions of disabilities differ greatly from those of VA and Title 38,
United States Code.

To even contemplate an “offset” says
to us that there is
contemplated new tax increase on veterans for being both disabled and an
American citizen under the civilian system, and for being disabled as a result
of something that traces to their military service.

Gathering the data (which in and of
itself may well be of questionable legality without the consent of all of the
veterans involved) simply means that someone on this commission, or on the
staff, is contemplating using it. You do not put the clip in a weapon and the round in the
chamber unless you are seriously contemplating pulling the trigger. This
would seem an apt analogy to the gathering of SSDI data.

If the Commission is going to start
delving into all income and all wealth of each service member or veteran,
where do you stop?

Do you examine 401(k) plans and
possible “offsets?”

Stock & Bond portfolios and possible
offsets?

Individual Retirement Accounts
(IRAs) and possible offsets?

Inherited land and possible
offsets?

The spouse’s income and possible
offsets?

The income of the extended family
and possible offsets?

The answer to all of these is a
resounding "NO!” you do not have the right to get into these areas, as they
have nothing to do with the individual citizen’s military service.

VVA does not, and will never accept this
attitude, whether intended or not, as it does great dishonor and disservice to
the men and women who have served their nation well in military service, and
are now lessened by virtue of that military service.

All of the above simply
because a citizen chose to wear the uniform of the United States Military.

Get ready Veterans the
political fight of your life as well as your family is coming!

VETERANS Counter Point:

If this commission and our
President and our members of congress that appointed this commission under the
already stated agenda of addressing the “quality of life” and getting the
benefits to the disabled Veterans in a timely manner to support them, then I
submit the following agenda as counter point to what is presently going on.
Which are nothing but cost cutting and taking away of Veterans Benefits and that
includes a “Disabled Veterans Tax.”

Instead of attacking the
Veterans, this commission should concentrate on the VA and how their process and
procedures do not support anything this committee says it is studying.

This committee and our congress should address the length of time it takes for
a Veterans claim. (Quality of Life)
Never mind expediting a social security claim.

Every year Veterans and
their families get the same rhetoric from the Secretary of the VA. “We are
trying hard and promise to do better.” Unfortunately, this never happens and
congress is neither interested nor inquisitive as to the why this never happens
over the last 30 years. In fact, the performance gets consistently worse with
little legitimate explanation as to the “why.”

The Secretary puts out
figures that are neither accurate nor factual yet even when this lack of
integrity to our nations veterans is exposed our congress once again remains
silent and less than effective in demanding real answers and examples.

This committee and our congress should address the VA’s definition of when the
Veteran dies his claim dies with him. (Quality
of Life)

Perhaps that explains the
question as to the “why” the lengthy delays in approving a Veterans claim above;
mandated government budget control. Implementing such delays and having this VA
track record of a dismal VA performance then monetarily rewards our own
government.

Does a conflict of interest
exist rewarding poor VA performance? I believe the answer is yes.

This committee and our congress should address not only the lengthy delays of
years in standard claims but also the 12 to 18 month delays on medical
disabilities for all practical purposes are already pre-approved by law.
(Quality of Life)

This commission and congress
should demand answers as to how validating one simple data point can possibly
take 12 to 18 months to get the Veteran and his family his disability approved
and money to that Veteran and his family for his disability.

This committee and our congress should address the absolute power the VA has
over one segment of society outside of the constitutional guarantees to all
citizens and an elected form of government; not this VA appointed government.

This committee and our congress should
address how is it the VA still treats a physical war wound the same as a toxic
chemical war wound or Gulf War Syndrome war wound in that the same gates apply
for widows and orphans survivors benefits.

Certainly there is huge difference between a
physical war wound and an internal cancer war wound and should be treated
differently in time, time to diagnosis, and time to mortality. Yet, the VA
treats these wounds as equal and the same in
mortality. This is totally nonsensical and against all medical and
scientific logic.

This committee and our congress should review the work of the
government contracted NAS/IOM.

This review should demand explanations from the
contracted NAS/IOM as to how other studies show significant findings in many
areas associated to our Toxic Chemical Legacy and Gulf War Issues and only this
government contracted body finds differently.

These significant findings are in many areas of
systemic body systems such as
neurological damages, hematological damages, hepatic damages, endocrine damages,
and immunological damages. All of which is found in empirical data at
the BVA.

These findings are significant in these areas
with findings of significant standard mortality ratios (SMR), significant Odds
Ratios (OR), significant Risk Ratios (RR), p-values of difference between
Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans found to
a p-value of <0.05, p-values
found in association with the dioxin, TCDD to
a p-value of <0.05.

Yet, the NAS/IOM some how can find a way to
“not find” these many issues associated
to either the dioxin, TCDD or significant increase or increased risk of
incidence by serving in a wartime environment in Vietnam or exposure to the
chemicals in the many bases around the world.

Then our government turns around and contracts
with the same folks for the PTSD studies.

I think we already know what the outcome will be
and the study is not even started yet. This is the same contracted agency
that said our Gulf War deaths and disabilities were created by stress in a
100-hour war; also proven false by many other independent studies.

So yes,
Veterans already know the outcome of this study before it even begins and by the
way so does the DoD/VA and our own congress.